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I loved the original Star Wars movies. Who didn’t. I wanted to ride with Han Solo in the Millennial Falcon to infinity and beyond. But Princess Leah was the best. She was smart. She was actually funny all though if you asked her she probably would not have agreed.

But most importantly she was a kick ass take no prisoners kind of woman. She had to be. She had people depending on her. Many, many people depended on her to save their world.

For young women this character was a role model. It portrayed a young woman with excellent self-esteem and a boundless amount of confidence. What a burden that was on her. How wonderful for us!

More importantly, I admired Carrie Fisher. She played the part well. Her book and later the screen adaptation of the book Postcards From the Edge was really about her struggles.

Just when she seemed to be pulling things together again she suffered a heart attack and died. I had just seen her do an interview on GMA and The Graham Norton Show. I was devastated and I don’t even know her. I kept thinking to myself this can’t be fair. But then I heard my Mom whisper in my ear her mantra Life is not fair. How often I heard that growing up. How true it is.

While I knew she had mental health issues after all it was out in the public for everyone to see, I did not totally understand her pain until I read the Princess Diarist. When it comes to someone’s mental health you really never understand the depth of their pain. After all it is their pain and pain is so hard to understand until you truly feel it yourself.

Fisher had an excellent sense of humor. I think it was a coping mechanism for her. Her humor was apparent in all her writings and her stand up show Wishful Drinking. If you haven’ seen it, see it!

The book is a reflection of her time on the Star War Set. She was young and a little naive. Reading it you can definitely see she was struggling. The book is a mix of her diary written as a 19 year old and her reflections as she looks back in time. Heavy.